Method and apparatus for forming caissons



Dec. 1, 1931. M. M. UPSON METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS-Filed Sept. 15, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 llll In Illmmmmmmmmmmwmmm IE @3713Gummy I rw w,

w ME N b w w n lr lu Mm 0 .u h M Q Q 41!. 5 2 w m w l 2 fiu/ HHlu U 2 w,0 W M .Ar/MK W ll l M A w W 8 6 9 A M 4 Dec. 1, 1931.

M. M. UPSON 1,834,751

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS Filed Sept. 15, 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 1, 1931; M. M. UPSON 1,834,751

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FORMING CAISSONS Filed Sept. -l5. 1927 5ShGGtS-ShGGt 3 EglZ. 1oo a 1 v p Z t '1 l a0 I .90 l l I; l I5: .58 5 96Y 102 I02 i 1 72 If: i 73 i T- 1 I 1 14 I I' :qlllllllllzlalfi 1g 3. I04,1 I l Patented Dec. 1, 1931 sates PATENT orrics MAXWELL M. UPSON, FENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 RAYMOND CONCRETE rILE COMPANY, 0E NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JEEsEY .METHOD AND APPARATUS FORFORMING CAISSONS Application filed September 15, 1927. Serial No.219,572.

This invention pertains to a method and apparatus for making calssons,or in other words, for lining or sheeting walls of exca vations',cavities, or holes in the ground to cular caissons; therefore amodification adapted for that particular work will be described.

The invention contemplates boring or digging a hole to a certain depth,lining the hole with quick-setting cement, plaster of Paris, or otherquick strength material, then sinking the hole further and lining itsection by section, as the digging proceeds, just as the first sectionofthe hole was lined. I prefer to use collapsible steel forms to aid informing the cement lining or caisson.

The sections of cement lining are all substantially alike and when thejob'is finished the bore is lined from top to bottom with a verticalhollow caisson of concrete. Each section of the caisson abuts the ado1n1ng sections with the result that collapse or cav ing of theexcavation is prevented while the desired work is done therein. p

The primary object, therefore, of the invention is to disclose animproved method and apparatus for forming caissons which compriseslining the excavation with a series of concrete shells as the diggingprogresses.

Further and other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forthin the accompanying specification and claims, and shown in the drawings,which by way of illustration show what is now considered to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention.

F1g. 1 shows thc digging apparatus'at work. The first section of thehole has been lined and the collapsible form isin place.

Fig. 2 shows the lined hole or mold carried as far as can be done withthe digging bucket.

Fig. 3 shows the completed excavation and Fig. 8 is a detail viewshowing a modification of the form 'in which the lower ring is integralwith the form.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the apparatus, on the line 99 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is the same View as Fig. 9 except that the reamer or plow hasbeen retracted from cutting position.

Fig. 11 is a detail view showingthe device for moving the plow toorfroin cutting position.

Figs. 12, 13 and it show the use of modified apparatus for wet soil.

s a convenient and practical means for digging a circular hole of anydesired diameter and depth, I prefer to use a rotary digging bucket andreamer of the type described in the copending application of Francis H.Hunt, Serial No. 184,407, filed April 16, 1927; therefore, althoughother bucket 20 provided on its bottom with cutters.

22 so arranged that when the bucket is rotated in. proper direction thebucket bores vertically into the ground. The detritus produced bycutters 22 passes up into the bucket. The bucketis rotated by atelescopic. kelly 241- which is actuated by gearing 26 supported on anoverhead frame 28. The bucket is raisedand loweredby rod 30 passingthrough digging the'kelly and attached at its lower end to bails 32 ofthe bucket. The upper end of rod 30 is connected to cable 34 whichpasses over a head-sheave 36 to a hoisting drum representedconventionally at 38.

Attached to the top of the bucket is a reamer or plow 40 so arranged asto enlarge the hole bored by the bucket. Material re moved by the reamerfalls into the bucket to be later raised with the bucket and dumpedtherefrom. As shown in Figs. 9, 10 and 11 the plow 4:0 is arranged sothat when the kelly is rotated clockwise the plow is automatically movedto, and held in, cutting position (Fig. 9) whereas when the kelly turnsin the other direction the plow is retracted to inoperative position(Fig. 10) so as not to interfere with the hoisting of the bucket fromthe hole. Apparatus for bringing about this automatic plow controlcomprises a casting 42 bolted to a bucket bail 32 and having a hub 44extending upwardly into the lower end of the lowest section of kelly 24.A portion of this part of the kelly is cut away as at 46 (Fig. 11), andinto the space thus cut away extends a lug 48 which is part of casting42. The dimensions of lug 48 and space 46 are such that when motion ofthe kelly is reversed the kelly will turn freely through a.

considerable are before contacting again. with lug 48 to move the bucketin the new direction. I

Projecting from the lower end of the kelly is an ear 50 to which isconnected one end of a link 52, the other end of the link beingconnected at 54: to the end of plow 4O opposite the cutting end thereof.The plow .is pivoted at 56 on a hail of the bucket, therefore when thekelly rotates clockwise it will move the plow to the cutting positionshown in Fig. 9, and when the kelly rotates in the opposite directionthe plow will assume the retracted position indicated in Fig. 10.

The collapsible form is preferably of steel, in three sections 58, soconnected together by joints 60 as to be capable of assuming; thecircular form shown in Fig. 4- or of being collapsed as in Fig. Thesupply pipe 62 is connected to one section 58 so that ma terial pouredthrough the pipe will emerge through outlet 64 to the outside of theshell. Pipe 62 is provided with couplings 65 so as tobe easily adjustedin length as the digging proceeds. Each section of the pipe is usuallythe same length as one of the forms.

In like manner the bottom form ring comprises the three arcuate'angleiron sections 66 interconnected by joints 68 (Figs. 6 and 7) to permitready collapsing.

With the above in mind the method of using the apparatus will bereadilyunderstood by reference to Fig. 1. After bucket 20 and reamer 40 havedujgfa hole deep enough to accommodate one of the collapsible forms andsomewhat larger than the form in diameter, a form is placed in thepositions shown in the drawing, supported concentrically in the cavityby timbers 7 0 through which pass bolts 7 2 which are riveted to theshell. The space between the lower end of the shell and the wall of theexcavation is closed by collapsible ring 66. The outer diameter of thisring is somewhat greater than the diameter of the excavation; thereforethe flange of the ring indents the wall of the excavation as at 74, thusenabling the ring to support itself in position together with the weightof the material which is later poured into the space above the ring.Under certain conditions the bottom ring may even support the steelform, thus obviating thenecessity for timbers 70 and rods 72. p

Under certain other conditions the bottom flange is attached to theform, as in Fig. 8, in which flange, 76 is formed integral with theform.

After the form and lower flange are properly supported in the cavity,quick strength material is poured through pipe 62 until the annularspace-between shell and excavation wall is filled to form a casing 80.After that material has set sufficiently to hold its shape the form andring are removed and moved down to the next succeeding position and theoperation is repeated.

If it be desired to form the next section of the concrete casing beforeit is feasible to remove the supporting form from the first section, thesecond section of collapsible form is supported in position with itsupper end as indicated at 82 by dotted lines in Fig. 1. Then when thespace around the second section is filled with material up to ring 7 4,the ring is removed and the filling continued, thereby filling withmaterial the space which had been occupied by the flange of the ring. Inactual practice the ring flange is of much less thickness than indicatedin the drawings. In this manner the lining of the excavation may becarried on at substantially the same speed as it is dug.

It will be noted that the above apparatus offers no obstruction to theraising and dumping of the bucket; therefore the forming of the concretecasing does not interfere with the progress of digging operations. Afterthe bucket reaches bed rock 84. all material not removed by the plow 40(Fig. 2) is removed by hand and the lining of the excavation is piecedin as at 86. leaving the completed lined caisson (Fig. 3), which hasbeen dug and lined rapidly and at low cost. The caisson may be filledwith concrete to form a column, or may be used for any other desiredpurpose.

Under certain conditions I do away entirely with the supporting ring 66by so adjusting the length of plow 40 as to leave a circumferentialshelf or ledge of earth upon which the newly poured cement may rest.

After the cement has set the ledge is removed. The length of the plow isadjusted by means of an adjustable length blade or by removing theblades and substituting another of the desired length-a change which maybe made in a few seconds. d

When more than one form is in place in the excavation, each form may besupported in dependently by a collapsible ring, or each form may be tiedto the one above it by suitable straps or bolts (not shown), or eachform may be supported independently by rods extending to timbers 70.

Under certain conditions, instead of using collapsible rings 66 of anglesteel I prefer to use a ring of sheet metal in arcuate sections, drivingthe sections into the wall of the excavation and leaving them there inthe completed job.

For certain conditions, for instance wet soil, I may use thesupplemental equipment shown in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. A comparativelylong steel sleeve 90 is provided, of such diameter as to permit reamer40 to work inside the sleeve. Riveted or bolted to the sleeve near themiddle of its length are a number of brackets 92, upon the uppersurfaces of which may rest an anvil 94. The anvil is collapsible, forinstance in the form of a twopiece cross (Fig. 14) in order to bereadily insertable or removable through rings 66 and forms 68.

In operation, anvil 94 is placed on brackets 92. Then by means of hammer96, shell 90 is driven into the ground. Hammer 96 is operated by drum 98and cable 100, the hammer being applied to anvil 94. When sleeve 90 hasbeen driven as far as brackets 92 will permit, hammer 96 and anvil 94are removed and the digging bucket excavates the contents of the lowerhalf of the sleeve. Then the sleeve is again driven as far as brackets92 permit, and its lower half again excavated by the bucket. At thisstage of the operation a hole has been bored to a depth equal to thelength of sleeve 90, and the hole is lined by the sleeve.

The next step is to put a collapsible form 58 and ring 66 in position inthe upper half of sleeve 90 and fill the space between sleeve and formwith concrete exactly as when sleeve 90 is not used. In the method nowbeing described the rim of ring 66 cannot indent the wall of theexcavation to hold itself in place, therefore the ring is attached tothe form above it by brackets 102 and bolts 104, the form itself beingsupported from above by rods 72.

hen the space between form 58 and sleeve 90 is filled with concrete,anvil 94 and hammer 96 are again used to drive sleeve 90 again. Thebeginning of this operation is shown in Fig. 12. As the sleeve isdriven, additional concrete may be added through pipe 62 to fill thespace left vacant by the wall of sleeve 90.

' After the newly poured concrete has set sufiiciently, ring 66 isremoved and another form 58 isput in position as shown in Fig. 13, andthe above described operation repeated; I

In this manner is sleeve 90 utilized to permit formation of thesuccessive caisson'sections without hindrance from the wet soil.

When bed rock is reached, sleeve 90 is not removed, but is simply leftin its last operative position to form the bottom section of thecaisson. If it be desired to line the sleeve with concrete all the wayto the bottom, that maybe done-because brackets 92 do not project'farenough inwardly to interfere with the. form. Brackets 92 may be detachedif desired but are usually left imbedded in the concrete of the bottomor next'to the bottom section of the caisson. If desired the caisson maybe reinforced as for instance by vertical rods 106 or circumferentialrings 108, or by both, as shown in Figs. 12 and 13. Reinforcement isfound particularly valuable when the sleeve 90 is used, in order toprevent the tendency of the concrete to adhere to the sleeve and followit downwardly when it is driven to a new position.

t is to be understood that the invention isnot limited to theconstruction herein specifically illustrated but can be embodied inother forms without departure from its spirit as defined by thefollowing claims.

I claim: I I

1. The method of forming a deepcaisson which comprises digging anexcavation, fitting a form therein solely supported from and concentricwith the wall of the excavation, filling the space betweensaid form andwall with a rapidly hardening material, then continuing the digging andforming other shells within the excavation, one under the other. withthe form supported as before.

2. The method of forming a caisson which com ises digging an excavation,placing therein a collapsible form spaced from the wall of theexcavation aud'solely supported thereby, filling the space between walland form with freshly mixed concrete, and removing the form after thematerial has set wherebv a section of concrete lining is formed, thendigging the excavation deeper and forming in similar manner othersections of lining therein one under the other as the diggingprogresses.

3. The method of forming a deep caisson which comprises digging anexcavation, supporting therein solely from the wall of the excavation acollapsible form spaced from the wall of the excavation, filling thespace thereby provided with freshly mixed concrete, and removing theform after the material has set whereby a section of concrete lining isformed, then digging the excavation deeper and forming other sections oflining therein one under the other as the digging progresses.

4. Apparatus for forming a caisson in an excavation, comprising incombination, a collapsible form, means engaging the wall of theexcavation and forming the sole support for said form said means holdingthe form concentric with said wall, and means comprising a pipeconnected to said form for introducing freshly mixed concrete into thespace between said form and said wall to form a section of said caisson.

5. Caisson forming apparatus including means for digging an excavationin combination with means for lining the excavation with a concretecaisson in sections, said lining means comprising collapsible forms andmeans insertable in the wallof the excavation whereby the wall acts tosolely support said forms one above the other as the digging proceeds toform molds between said wall and said form, and means for filling eachof said molds with concrete to form a section of said caisson.

6. Caisson forming apparatus including means for digging an excavationin combination with a rotary drilling bucket, means for rotating saidbucket to form an excavation, a plurality of collapsible forms, meansfor installing said forms one above the other in said excavation andsupporting them solely on the wall thereof above said bucket as thedrilling proceeds, and means for surrounding each of said forms withconcrete whereby a caisson is formed downwardly in the excavation as thedrilling of the excavation proceeds.

7. The invention set forth in claim 6, in which means is provided-forraising said bucket from said excavation for dumping its contents, saidforms being arranged to permit said bucket to be raised therethroughwhereby the drilling operations may be carried on without hindrance bysaid forms.

In testimony whereof I hereto afiix my signature.

MAXl/VELL M. UPSON.

